


it's a day for grand gestures

by tryslora



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Flowers, M/M, Meet-Cute, Prompt Fill, Valentine's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 11:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22701472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryslora/pseuds/tryslora
Summary: Harry almost walks into a wall of flowers on his way into the florist.
Relationships: Neville Longbottom/Harry Potter
Comments: 37
Kudos: 180
Collections: Peeps Prompting Peeps Server Collection





	it's a day for grand gestures

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Unforth](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unforth/gifts).

> This was supposed to be Harry/Neville and meet-cute and three sentences long. I got the first part right. But hey, I wrote something for Valentine's Day and it might be tooth rotting fluff, whoops?

Harry almost walks into a wall of flowers on his way into the florist. In his defense, the wall of flowers is moving, pushing through the door in the arms of someone else, and he notices it just in time to yank the door open and hold it for them.

“Sorry,” a muffled voice says.

Harry frowns. “Neville?”

The flowers lower, and Neville blinks at Harry over the top of them. His cheeks are pink, underline by the deep purple of tiny violets that stud the huge bouquet. “Oh. Hullo, Harry. We’re you—um—” He cuts off with a nod toward the shop.

“Promised Arthur that I’d pick up the arrangement he ordered for Molly for tonight. It’s the only way he can manage to get it to her and still have it be a surprise,” Harry says with a small smile. He knows it won’t be a surprise at all, but he’s happy to be the go-between for his found family if it makes them happy. Molly won’t let him spoil them at all for any of the holidays, not even Valentine’s Day, so this is how he can do something small at least. “You?” Harry gestures at the flowers that hide Neville’s broad shoulders. “That’s some bouquet. She must be special. I didn’t even know you were—”

“I’m not,” Neville cuts him off. “I mean. Not yet. I just thought—it’s that sort of a day, right? We’re supposed to make grand gestures, and say what’s in our heart, and I was thinking… why not? I mean. I suppose. It could mean that my heart gets broken, but if it does, I’ll survive. Can’t be any worse than pining for the last—” He stops, the flush intensifying. “You don’t really want to know all that.”

“Don’t forget a card then.” At Neville’s confused look, Harry tries to peer more closely at the flowers, see if there’s a card tucked in among the blooms. “A card,” Harry repeats. “So she knows they’re from you.”

Neville groans softly. “Don’t think that’s going to be a problem.”

“Ah.” Harry has no idea who she is, but she’s going to be a lucky girl. Neville’s a good bloke. Kind and affectionate. Definitely one of Harry’s best mates, and honestly, if he weren’t straight, Harry might’ve even thought about it once or twice. Or a few more times, but well, he’s not going to go chasing the impossible. He pulls the door a bit wider. “Off you go then. Good luck.”

“Right.” Neville carefully makes his way through the door, checking his hold on the flowers. “See you at work then.”

At work. Right.

Harry frowns after Neville for a moment, wondering why the bloody hell he’s buying flowers in Hogsmeade rather than using ones he’s grown on his own in the greenhouse at Hogwarts? But then, there must be a reason for it.

He pays for Arthur’s flowers and packs them up neatly, putting a stasis spell so they’ll still be fresh when he drops them off after the school day is done. He’s missed breakfast, but that’s fine, he can still make it back to Hogwarts in time for the first class.

Harry’s walking into his Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom just as the students are arriving, and Viola Bell’s squeal is so piercing that he throws up a silence spell just to stop it. She keeps shrieking something unheard, pointing at his desk, and as he follows the gesture he sees it.

His desk is covered in flowers. There are no less than five vases, each one full to bursting. One or two of them he thinks are magical, particularly the way the vines creep across his desk, picking up his quill and brandishing it. But the others are Muggle, the scent intense and sweet and… familiar.

Harry feels a flush burning down the back of his neck.

He recognizes one of those vases, right at the center, the largest of the set. And they are a set; there’s no doubt about how perfectly they coordinate. It’s a huge profusion of flowers, but this time no one stands behind it.

He drops the silence spell.

“—so _romantic_! You must have a secret admirer! Do you know who she is? Is there a card? Is she pretty?” Viola squeals. She’s not the only one, the class a complete din of excitement over the flowers.

“He’s brilliant,” Harry says.

Their astonishment is enough to help him quiet them down and start the class. He has to wait until it’s over and he can pen a quick note.

_You’re a braver man than me, Nev, and I am thankful for that. The answer is yes to whatever you’re asking. Because if I’d been a braver man, I’d have asked long ago. _

He sends the note off as his next class trickles in.

He has to wait until later to thank Neville properly, but he makes sure to do so, with a kiss that was worth waiting years for.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me (mostly silent) on Tumblr as [tryslora](http://tryslora.tumblr.com) and on Pillowfort as [tryslora](https://www.pillowfort.io/tryslora). I also write original fiction! If you like my fic, you might like my original twice-weekly series [Welcome to PHU](http://welcometophu.tumblr.com) (also mirroring on Pillowfort at [Welcome to PHU](https://www.pillowfort.io/community/WelcomeToPHU)).


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